


Freedom

by RuReadytoSing



Series: 365 day challenge [15]
Category: Free!
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Study, Established Relationship, Introspection, M/M, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-12
Updated: 2017-02-12
Packaged: 2018-09-22 15:25:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9613994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RuReadytoSing/pseuds/RuReadytoSing
Summary: What is it like to be free?





	

_ What is it like to be free?  _

Rei had watched his navy haired senpai drift through the water with no worries or cares. But he hadn’t fully come to understand how his senpai could be so carefree. What about studies, maintaining your health, keeping up with social life, and everything else that life entails? How could someone not care about anything and survive? 

His question had been quickly answered by his olive green-haired senpai who scolded the navy haired one and promptly helped to get him out of the water.  _ He has someone to look after him. Someone who cares wholeheartedly and would do anything for him.  _

Rei couldn’t help but be envious. Most likely because of his quirky personality, he’d never had anyone like that for him. He was always alone, forced to take care of his own problems. He had learned to rely on only himself and instinctively closed himself off from other people. 

Then a blinding light, no, a golden ball of sunshine tumbled into his life. Someone who cared, someone who pried their nose into everything, someone who accepted him for who he was and loved him for all his eccentricities, helped to break him out of his shell. 

And he was happy to note that he’d also helped his ball of sunshine break out of his shell, too. That blonde little goofball who always acted happy was shouldering similar burdens as him. That ever-present smile hid his insecurities and doubts, only ever spreading positivity to those around them. But even the sun had fallen for a little, until the light was returned with a little help from his teammates.  

Little by little, Rei was able to view the world in a more positive light, and he began to understand what being free meant. 

Being free isn’t that you have nothing to do in your life. That would be boring. It’s when you have someone who loves and cares for you, someone who will support you in your time of need, and someone who notices right away that something is bothering you and won’t stop at anything to help, even if you don’t want them to. 

“Rei-chan, are you gonna get in?” Nagisa’s voice drifted from below. Rei looked down to see his boyfriend swimming towards him while he was still sitting on the side of the pool with his feet dipped in the water. 

“I-” 

‘Splash!’ Rei was pulled into the water by his feet as a small blonde giggled beside him. When he finally broke the surface, he captured the smaller boy in a tight hug. Fearing that the taller one was going to drag him underwater, Nagisa tried to squirm free, but Rei’s embrace was too strong. 

“Um... Rei-chan?” Nagisa whispered, realizing Rei had no intention of revenge. 

“I love you,” the butterfly swimmer whispered. The breaststroke swimmer froze for a second. Rei was usually shy about saying the ‘L’ word, let alone in front of other people. Was this a new way of performing revenge? 

“Ahaha~ Rei-chan, what brought this on?” Nagisa disguised his nervousness with laughter. 

“I just really love you. And I don’t say that enough,” Rei whispered. He realized what he’d confessed and couldn’t believe he’d let his emotions get the better of him.  _ Damn, why was he getting so sentimental all of a sudden? Maybe it was because the end of the school year was nearing and their two senpai were going to graduate soon...? _

“I love you too,” Nagisa answered, cuddling into Rei’s embrace. He pressed a chaste kiss to the taller boy’s neck, then grinned up at him mischievously. Ohh, Rei did not like the look of that smirk. “So, when are we going to go public with our relationship?” Nagisa asked innocently, but Rei could hear the slight pleading tone. 

The butterfly swimmer smiled softly. “Let’s free ourselves, fully. We can do it today.” 

“Free ourselves?” 

“Society can think whatever they want of us. We’re free to do what we want. Our relationship is beautiful, and no one can tell us otherwise!” 

“Wow Rei-chan, what changed your thinking?” 

Rei shifted his gaze over to his two senpai. One was calmly sitting on the bench while the other was fretting over how he could catch a cold, or what they should eat for dinner, or any other topic that came to mind. Their actions were so natural and Rei smiled happily for them. 

Nagisa caught on and also shifted his gaze towards where his boyfriend was looking. He smiled softly, whispering, “Yeah. It’s time to be free.” 


End file.
